Although proper dietary and lifestyle habits, routine screening and prophylactic vaccines help reducing the risk for certain cancers, more than 1,000,000 people are diagnosed with cancer every year. The etiology of cancer is multi-factorial, as cancer results from the interaction of genetic, environmental, medical and lifestyle factors. While prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed type of cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer are also common, followed by colorectal cancer and renal cancers. Knowledge of cancer genetics helps identifying individuals that are at risk, and developing a treatment tailored to the molecular fingerprint of the disease. Nevertheless, invasive cancer treatment, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, is not always successful and is often accompanied by side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, suppression of the immunological system, weakness, suppression of white cells and platelets, hair loss and damage to the cardiovascular system, the kidney and the nervous system.
Cardiovascular diseases, and coronary heart disease in particular, are the leading cause of death in the United States. Dysfunctional conditions of the heart, arteries, and veins, as well as tobacco use, physical inactivity and an unhealthy diet are the major causes leading to the disease. High cholesterol levels, with consequent excess buildup of fat or plaque deposits, may cause narrowing of the arteries and veins that supply blood to the heart and lead to ischemic heart disease and high blood pressure (hypertension). Often, there are no symptoms of underlying cardiovascular diseases and a heart attack or stroke may be the first warning and although early medical detection and treatment is available, the treatment is not always effective. Angiograms, bypass surgery and angioplasty are invasive and traumatic procedures associated with high cost and often requiring additional therapy and/or intervention.
Inflammation, which can be acute or chronic, is part of a complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The process of acute inflammation is initiated by the activation of resident macrophages, dendritic cells, histiocytes, Kupffer cells and mastocytes, which release inflammatory mediators once their pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Vasodilation and the resulting increased blood flow causes local redness (rubor) and heat (calor), and the increased permeability of the blood vessels results in leakage of plasma proteins and fluid into the tissue (edema), which manifests itself as swelling. Some released mediators increase sensitivity to pain (hyperalgesia, dolor) and alter the blood vessels to permit the migration of leukocytes, mainly neutrophils, into the tissue. Inflammation may also lead to loss of function. Prolonged inflammation, known as chronic inflammation, leads to a progressive shift in the type of cells present at the site of inflammation and is characterized by simultaneous destruction and healing of the tissue from the inflammatory process. Current therapies for inflammation and pain are often palliative, with limited effectiveness and side effects. In addition, diagnosis of chronic inflammatory diseases is often made rather late after there is irreversible organ damage and they often require invasive procedures.
Accordingly, there is an urgent need in the art for alternative, non-invasive therapies, that make use of natural compositions that effectively modulate immune response and effectively prevent and treat cancer, cardiovascular diseases and inflammation. The present invention satisfies this need.